BEAUTIFUL THING IS PASSIONATE

This coming of age story is somber, witty, touching and gritty! Two young teenage boys are feeling their way into new ways to fall in love. Their romance is totally believable as the two actors Ben Carver and Brant Rotnem really make us believe in the characters. They are perfectly cast. Carver plays a young Boy that is confused about his sexuality. The acting is brilliant. Carver brings out emotional nuances that eventually explode to the surface. Brant Rotnem, Carter’s love interest -- is a rock. He loves sports – and his emotions are teetering on the edge. Yep, Rotnem has plenty of male pheromones that would make anyone wilt in his presence. His performance is both heartwarming, and heartbreaking. Hollywood may just discover this guy.

There is something about the location (a working class Neighborhood) that is slightly unnerving. One boy’s father is a hopeless drunk (we never see him). He beats his son when he gets a heat on. The other boy’s mother has a good-heart and means well, but she really is not much of a role model. She goes through boyfriends like the cocktails that she serves at the Bar where she works. Gigi Benson is terrific as the Mom. She really nails the tough-as-nails bar room Broad right down to the tacky outfits. Her interpretation is delightful and full of adrenaline!

Then there is the ditzy girl (Shubhra Prakash) that lives next door who has a ‘thing’ about Mama Cass (the singer that died from eating a sandwich too fast). She is wild, uncontrollable and a little bit insane, but utterly fascinating. To today’s young people, she would even be considered stylish. Her energy bursts right off the stage.

The place where they all live, reminds of “The Bates Motel” in Psycho. No one gets killed – but there sure is plenty of action on this street where the walls between the units are like cardboard. Anything can be heard and plenty are listening.

There is one little annoying aspect however, that can easily be fixed. It is not about the acting. It is Top-Drawer – the problem is the lighting. You never know when it is day or night. The lighting is static. Hey, even in a working class neighborhood they dim the lights occasionally. When the two shy boys are in bed together, I would think they would want some Low Key lighting. It was like watching them making love in Walgreen’s.

Playing a Boyfriend of the Bar Maid is Cory Tallman. He has an easy almost hippie like attitude. However, his accent doesn’t seem to fit in with the overly done English Brogue that the other actors use. You can understand Tallman (which is good) – but some of the other characters in the show have apparently been directed towards the working class way of talking. As the play progresses – the Brogue softens a bit. I was with an English Guy – and he couldn’t even understand some of it at the beginning of the play.

All in all, Andrew Nance – the director flushed out this story with new depth and insight. I have seen this play three times and this has been the best version. It’s a seriously funny, spellbinder!

AT THE NEW CONSERVATORY THEATRE

(Rating: Three Glasses of Champagne!!! – trademarked-

(((Lee Hartgrave has contributed many articles to the San Francisco Chronicle Sunday Datebook Section and produced a long-running Arts Segment on PBS KQED)))

FOR LATE BREAKING NEWS: twitter.com/famereporter



The Photo of Lee Hartgrave Boy Reporter is by Jim Ferreira – Film Noir & Hollywood Glamour. www.lafterhall.com.

YOUR COMMENTS ARE WELCOME HERE: leehartgraveshow@yahoo.com

PRESS STUFF: buzzmixer@mac.com

Podcasts, blogs, vblogs: web.mac.com/buzzmixer/